1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved cooling system for an internal combustion engine and in particularly, an improved cooling system for an engine utilizing spherical rotary valves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applicant is the inventor of a novel spherical rotary valve assembly as evidenced by Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,989,576; 4,953,527; 4,989,558; 4,944,261; 4,976,232; 5,109,814; and 5,361,739 which Applicant incorporates herein.
Typical cooling systems for internal combustion engines involve the circulation of water between a radiator which cools the water and the jacketed assembly of the engine and manifolds where the water is heated due to engine operation, the heated water then being circulated via hoses to the radiator and thence returned to the engine for further cooling. This is the manner of cooling on a typical poppet valve engine and it is the manner of cooling on Applicant's spherical rotary valve internal combustion engines.
It is known that the cooler the engine can run, and in particular, the cooler the exhaust valve can be maintained, the less nitrous oxides and other smog related mixtures are produced from the combustion of fuel in an internal combustion engine. In a typical poppet valve engine, there is no economical way to cool the valves in that they are operated by a cam shaft which repeatedly operates the valves in an up and down reciprocating motion extending them into the combustion chamber.
Applicant's spherical rotary valve engine employs an intake valve and an exhaust valve which do not require a cam shaft, but rather are mounted on a shaft and rotate in their respective position above the inlet port and outlet port of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The spherical rotary intake valves and spherical rotary exhaust valves of Applicant's invention are mounted on a shaft upon which they are keyed such that the shaft and the valves rotate in unison. Since the spherical rotary intake valve and spherical rotary exhaust valve do not reciprocate into the cylinder, they already operate at a cooler temperature than a normal poppet valve. However since they are mounted on a cylindrical shaft and are in intimate contact therewith, there is a further opportunity to reduce the temperature of the spherical rotary valves during operation by providing coolant through a central bore in the shaft during operation which coolant would circulate with the coolant already provided for and circulating in the jacketed assembly of the engine and manifold and the radiator.